Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry Prison and Mental Asylum Reformer Elizabeth Fry. From Little Journeys To The Homes Of Famous Women, 1916 Known for: prison reform, reform of mental asylums, reform of convict ships to Australia Dates: May 21 , 1780 - October 12, 1845 Occupation: reformer Also Known as: Elizabeth Gurney Fry About Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry was born in Norwich, England, into a well-off Quaker (Society of Friends) family. Her mother died when Elizabeth was young. The family practiced "relaxed" Quaker customs, but Elizabeth Fry began to practice a stricter Quakerism. At 17, inspired by the Quaker William Saveny, she put her religious faith into action by teaching poor children and visiting the sick among poor families. She practiced more plain dress, pain speech, and plain living. Marriage In 1800, Elizabeth Gurney married Joseph Fry, who was also a Quaker and, like her father, a banker and merchant. They had eight children between 1801 and 1812.

In 1809, Elizabeth Fry began to speak at Quaker meeting and became a Quaker "minister." Visit to Newgate In 1813 came a key event in Elizabeth Fry's life: she was talked into visiting the women's prison in London, Newgate, where she observed women and their children in horrible conditions. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge She didn't return to Newgate until 1816, having two more children int aht time, but she began working for reforms, including those that became themes for her: segregation of the sexes, female matrons for female prisoners, education, employment (often kitting and sewing), and religious instruction. Organizing for Reform In 1817, Elizabeth Fry began the Association for the Improvement of Female Prisoners, a group of twelve women who worked for these reforms. She lobbied authorities including Members of Parliament -- a brother-in-law was elected to Parliament in 1818 and became a supporter of her reforms. As a result, in 1818, she was called to testify before a Royal Commission, the first woman to so testify.

Widening Circles of Reform Activism In 1819, with her brother Joseph Gurney, Elizabeth Fry wrote a report on prison reform. In the 1820s, she inspected prison conditions, advocated reforms and established more reform groups, including many with women members. By 1821, a number of women's reform groups came together as the British Ladies' Society for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners. In 1822, Elizabeth Fry gave birth to her eleventh child. In 1823, prison reform legislation was finally introduced in Parliament. Elizabeth Fry in the 1830s Elizabeth Fry traveled extensively in western European countries in the 1830s advocating her preferred prison reform measures. By 1827, her influence had diminished. In 1835, Parliament enacted laws creating harsher prison policies instead, including hard labor and solitary confinement. Her last trip was to France in 1843. Elizabeth Fry died in 1845. More Reforms While Elizabeth Fry is known more for her prison reform activities, she was also active in investigating and proposing reforms for mental asylums.

For more than 25 years, she visited every convict ship leaving for Australia, and promoted reform of the convict ship system. She worked for nursing standards and established a nursing school which influenced her distant relative, Florence Nightingale . She worked for the education of working women, for better housing for the poor including hostels for the homeless, and she founded soup kitchens. In 1845, after Elizabeth Fry died, two of her daughters published a two-volume memoir of their mother, with selections from her journals (44 handwritten volumes originally) and letters. It was more hagiography than biography. In 1918, Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards, daughter of Julia Ward Howe, published Elizabeth Fry, the Angel of the Prisons. In 2003, Elizabeth Fry's image was selected to appear on the English five pound note. More women's history biographies, by name: Elizabeth Fry 1780-1845 | Bank of England Elizabeth Fry 1780-1845 Page Content Elizabeth Fry was born in 1780 at Earlham in Norfolk, the third daughter of John Gurney, a banker in Norwich and member of an old Quaker family.

At the age of 20 she married and subsequently had a family of many children; her husband Joseph Fry was the nephew of the founder of the chocolate and confectionery company known as J.S.Fry. Some of her earliest philanthropic work had begun before her marriage when, impressed by the gospel, she had begun to visit the poor of Earlham, relieving the sick, and forming a class for the education of children. At the age of fifteen she had begun to visit the house of correction at Norwich, and she went on to develop a practical interest in the conditions that women were held under at Newgate Prison. In 1817 she was a key member of an association focused on improving conditions for female prisoners and their children. Her success attracted the attention of society as a whole, including royalty. At the time, many criminals were transported to New South Wales without any arrangements in place for proper care during the journey or employment on arrival in Australia. Elizabeth Fry made great efforts to induce the government to correct matters and ensure the prisoners were properly cared for during the voyage and that suitable shelter and employment were available to them on arrival.

Fry took an active interest in prisons other than Newgate, sometimes combining her work as a minister of the Society of Friends with her prison work. She travelled extensively assessing the condition of prisons, taking up issues with local authorities, making suggestions, and forming associations to support the practical implementation of reform. Her influence spread wide. In Russia a royal residence was converted into a palace prison and in France and Prussia her visits helped to underpin certain areas of social reform; for example, the importance of having trained nurses to attend to the sick of all social classes. Although prison reform was her main work, she was deeply interested in helping relieve other aspects of human suffering. The homeless in London received her attention when she was instrumental in establishing a 'night shelter' having seen the body of a young boy who had frozen to death in the winter of 1819/20. The scheme prospered as, a committee of ladies headed by Elizabeth Fry, lent their support by trying to find employment for those without a job. This work was extended beyond the boundaries of London to places such as Brighton. In 1828 Fry suffered herself from economic downfall when her husband became bankrupt.

Although able to carry on with her work as a minister she was forced to curtail her work with the needy. She died at Ramsgate on 12 October 1845 and was buried in the Friends’ burial ground at Barking. Details of notes issued and withdrawn since 1980 External Links Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry William of Norwich Elizabeth Fry 1780 - 1845 Elizabeth Fry is probably the best known woman Quaker, famous for her efforts to reform the British prison system during the early nineteenth century. By her example she has inspired other women to play a fuller role in society. During the seventeenth century Quakers were imprisoned for their beliefs and recorded for themselves the dreadful conditions in the prisons. Many later Quakers have continued this concern for the welfare of prisoners. A Gurney Elizabeth Fry was born on 21 May 1780, the third child of Joseph Gurney, a wealthy Quaker cloth manufacturer, and his wife Catherine, in Gurney Court Magdalen Street; Norwich. Amongst the 'plain Quakers' at the Goat Lane Meeting House, the Gurneys stood out because of their bright clothes and fashionable manners.

At that time most Quakers wore simple clothes without trimmings, and still used 'thee' and 'thou' in conversation believing everyone was equal before God. Convinced that girls should be educated as well as boys, the family were taught history, geography, French and Latin. Catherine also told her girls Bible stories and read to them from the psalms. She visited and helped the sick and poor in the district taking her daughters with her. Catherine died when Elizabeth was only twelve leaving her deeply upset. At the age of eighteen, Elizabeth recorded in her diary going to Goat Lane (wearing purple boots with scarlet laces) and hearing William Savery, from America, speak in First Day (Sunday) Meeting for Worship. Dining later at her uncle's house, she became very impressed by Savery ' 'a truly good man;...I have felt there is a GOD..'. began to understand true worship, but remained reluctant to become a 'plain Quaker'. In 1799 Elizabeth, when visiting London, again had the chance to meet Savery. She also visited the theatre and operas, but found herself wondering whether it was right to enjoy them. 'I think them all so artificial...'.

She felt much more comfortable in the company of her cousin Priscilla Hannah Gurney, a 'plain' Friend whom she visited in Coalbrookdale. In a Meeting for Worship there Deborah Darby spoke about Elizabeth becoming 'a light to the blind, speech to the dumb and feet to the lame'. Elizabeth's changing views began to set her apart from her family, but her plain dress clearly signalled the decision she had made. People stopped inviting her to social events realising that other things were more important to her now. Her faith and prayer being a great source of strength, she found it easier to be practical and to make great efforts to help others. She ran a Sunday School in the laundry at the family home at Earlham. The children - many already working in Norwich factories - to whom she told Bible stories, and taught to read and write, were called "Betsy's Imps" by her sisters. Marriage to Joseph Fry In the summer of 1799 another Quaker, Joseph Fry - a wealthy tea, coffee and spice merchant who later became a banker - visited the Gurneys. A plain Friend, shy and seemingly very dull, he admired Elizabeth but at first she refused his proposal of marriage.

However, she came to love him and on 18th August 1800 they were married. They lived at first with his parents in the London building which also housed their warehouse. Their first child Katherine was born in August 1801 and over the next twenty years Elizabeth gave birth to eleven more children. Constant child bearing and the demands of a large family ruined the health of numerous contemporary women and like many others at times she felt her life was being taken over by motherhood. She loved her children and missed them while away, but recorded that she feared she might become 'the careworn and oppressed mother...'. Progressively more active in the work of the Society of Friends, respect for Elizabeth's spoken ministry grew especially when she began to travel to other Friends' Meetings. Nevertheless her diary for 1812 records that she felt her 'life [was] slipping away to little purpose... ' Prison reform Stephen Grellett was a French aristocrat who had gone into exile in America where he became a Quaker. Given permission to visit to visit some British prisons he was horrified by the conditions at Newgate. He found women prisoners lying on the bare stone floors, and newborn babies without clothing.

He went to Elizabeth and the reform of prison conditions became the impetus for Elizabeth's new life. She immediately sent out for warm material and asked other women Friends to help her make clothes for the babies.The following day Elizabeth and her sister in law went to the prison to see for themselves. The turnkeys (warders) were reluctant to admit them believing the women prisoners wild and savage. The sisters were shocked at the conditions they found - particularly when they saw two prisoners stripping the clothes off a dead baby to give them to another child. Warm clothes were left for the babies, ill prisoners were comforted and clean straw laid for the sick to lie on. On a third visit Elizabeth prayed for the prisoners who in turn were moved by her sincere words of love for them. Her visits continued and just before Christmas 1816, she went in calmly and picking up a child asked the mothers, 'Is there not something we can do for these innocent little children?' The women prisoners recognised her concern for them and began to listen. She suggested they might start a school for the children to give them a better chance in life. When she returned the following day she found a waiting crowd who had tried to tidy themselves and their surroundings.

Elizabeth set up a committee of twelve women - eleven Quakers and the wife of a clergyman - with the intention of establishing a school for the children of prisoners. With her husband's help she invited the authorities to discuss her plans and after much debate the school was allowed. The Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate organised this school for the children, appointed a female matron to supervise the prisoners and paid her wages. Materials were provided for the prisoners to sew, knit and make goods for sale; the proceeds would buy food, clothing and fresh straw for bedding. The committee members made daily visits to Newgate giving readings from the bible to demonstrate their belief in its redeeming powers. In 1818 Elizabeth gave evidence to a committee of the House of Commons on London prisons, the first woman to do so. She described in detail the lives of the prisoners and recommended that women, not men, should look after women prisoners, stressing her belief in the importance of useful employment. She proposed important changes in the treatment of prisoners sentenced to transportation to the colonies. Some women were on the point of rioting, about to be taken in irons on open wagons to the waiting ships.

Fry arranged for them to be taken in closed carriages to protect them from the stones and jeers of the crowds and promised to go with them to the docks. In the five weeks before the ships actually sailed the ladies of her Committee visited them daily and provided each prisoner with a 'useful bag' of things they would need. Patchwork quilts were made on the voyage which could be sold on arrival to provide some income. During the next twenty years there was regular care for all the convict ships. District Visiting Societies Elizabeth later set up District Visiting Societies to work with the poor, provide libraries for coastguards and a training school for nurses. When a small boy was found frozen to death near her home, another Committee was established to offer hot soup and a bed to homeless women and children. Her work became very well known and lead to the setting up of Ladies' Committees in other towns in Britain and Europe, also attracting royal patronage. At various times her work attracted criticism; prisoners complaining that they had lost their entertainment being no longer being able to gamble or read novels as Eljzabeth's workers encouraged them to "higher things".

The new Prison Act of 1823 cost the local authorities more money and ladies visiting prisons were still made unwelcome. Elizabeth was especially sensitive to the criticism from Friends who thought that she valued public esteem too much, and that she was neglecting her family. Some of her children married non Quakers; in fact only one of her children remained in the Society of Friends. Bank failure In 1828 Joseph Fry's Bank failed precipitating her husband's disownment by the Society on the presumption that he had put other people's money at risk. Elizabeth herself was wrongfully accused of using the bank's funds for her charitable work. Fry's debts were underwritten by the Gurney's Bank thus Joseph's financial integrity (and also his membership of the Society of Friends). Elizabeth continued to work in prisons and lobby Parliament, recounting her observations of the penal system. Her travels 'in the Ministry' took her further and further afield including on several occasions the Goat Lane Meeting House in Norwich where she is minuted for her stirring vocal ministry. On October 13 1845 Elizabeth died following a stroke which had rendered her unconscious.

Almost before she was buried she had become a legend of piety and philanthropy: Nevertheless, in her seminal biography based on Fry's own diaries, June Rose sums up the outstanding achievements of the woman whose face now appears on the reverse aide of the British five pound note: 'Through her personal courage and involvement, Elizabeth Fry alerted the nations of Europe to the cruelty and filth in the prisons and revealed the individual human faces behind the prison bars. Her own passionate desire to lead a useful life disturbed the placid, vapid existence a women in Victorian England and changed forever the confines of respectable femininity... The name of Elizabeth Fry broadened the appeal of the Quaker faith ... Over two hundred years after her birth, she seems a brave and modern woman battling with the injustices of her time...

' Sources/Further reading Sue Debbage The Face on the Fiver 2003 Georgina King Lewis, Elizabeth Fry, Hedley Brothers, London, 1910 Janet Whitney, Elizabeth Fry, George Harrap and Co, London, 1937 June Rose Elizabeth Fry, A Biography, Q.H.S., 1994 Nick Williams Social reform and change in Britain Poor 1536 Henry VIII declared himself supreme head of the Church in 1534, and the dissolution of the monasteries took place between 1536 and 1541. Political Reform 1572 An Elizabethan Act made provision for the punishment of sturdy beggars and the relief of the impotent poor Poor Relief 1586 Settlement and removal. If people tried to draw relief outside the parish of their birth, they could be removed. this meant that they could be rejected, or physically transported to another parish.In Scotland, poor people are marked with the town's mark. Poor Relief Buttock mail', a Scottish poor rate, is levied. Poor Relief 1598 - 1601 The Elizabethan Poor Law was a national Act for England and Wales.

It provided for a compulsory poor rate, the creation of 'overseers' of relief, provision for 'setting the poor on work'. Poor Relief A Poor Relief Act introduces the laws of settlement and removal. Poor Relief Scotland had "houses of correction" established in the burghs 1697 The Bristol Workhouse was established by private Act of Parliament. Poor Relief Public Health 1723 Knatchbull's Act allowed English and Welsh parishes to build workhouses without first taking out private Acts of Parliament. Poor Relief A workhouse is established at Edinburgh. Poor Relief 1741 Foundling Hospital established in London by Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." Children Robert Owen was born. Owen was a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement People Out-relief, that is, benefits or cash outside the poorhouse is made available in Glasgow. Poor Relief 1777 John Howard published his book, "The State of the Prisons", based on the study he had made of prison conditions on tours of Britain and Europe.

Prison Reform 1780 Sir George Onesiporous Paul built a model new prison at Gloucester based on the ideas of John Howard. It was secure, well-built, healthy, separated men, women and children. The rules ensured that prisoners wore uniform, were taught to read and write Prison Reform 1782 Gilbert's Act stated that workhouses should become poorhouses, relieving only those who were not able-bodied. It allowed parishes to form Poor Law Unions in order to build poorhouses. Poor law 1784 James Ramsay, doctor and preacher wrote on the 'Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies'. He also published 'An Inquiry into the Effects of Putting a Stop to the African Slave Trade'. These were the first anti-slavery works by a mainstream Anglican writer who had personally seen the suffering and were, therefore, very influential. Abolition slavery Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade founded in Britain Abolition slavery 1787 Josiah Wedgewood wealthy industrialist and much respected man actively participated in abolition, becoming a member of one of the abolition committees.

Abolition slavery Joseph Townsend dissertation on the Poor Laws Poor Relief Sir William Dolben's Act regulating the conditions on British slave ships enacted. Abolition Slavery Mary Wollstonecraft published her 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' Women's Emancipation Paupers became removable only if they were chargeable to another parish. Poor Relief 1795 The Speenhamland system. A code for out-relief was drawn up by magistrates in Speenhamland, Berkshire. The Speenhamland system acquired some notoriety in the following years; it was believed to lead employers to pay unduly low wages while workers were forced to claim relief. Poor Relief Political Reform 1796 William Wilberforce became a founding member of the ‘Society for the Bettering Condition and Increasing Comforts of the Poor’. Organizations 1798 Thomas Cranfield established a free children's day school on Kent Street near London Bridge. By the time of his death in 1838, he had established 19 free schools providing services for children and infants living in the lower-income areas of London Education People Health and Morals of Apprentices Act was passed, the very first piece of factory legislation.

Factories 1803 Support for vaccination grew. Jenner was awarded government funding, and in 1803 the Royal Jennerian Institute was founded. Public Health 1803 Lord Ellenborough's Act made abortion after quickening a capital crime, and provided lesser penalties for the felony of abortion before quickening. Women 1805 A bill for abolition of slavery passes in House of Commons but is rejected in the House of Lords. Abolition Slavery Abolition of the Slave Trade Act abolishes slave trading in British Empire. Abolition Slavery The British begin patrols of African coast to arrest slaving vessels. Abolition Slavery Mary Carpenter was born, educational and social reformer Education People 1812 Elizabeth Fry makes her first visit to Newgate Prison to do what she could to alleviate the suffering of the women and children there Prison Reform Angela Coutts was born, she was the wealthiest Victorian woman in Britain and a philanthropist People 1817 Elizabeth Fry and eleven other Quakers formed the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. She gave evidence to the House of Commons about conditions in prison, using evidence from her tour of British prisons.

Her evidence influenced Sir Robert Peel to reform prison conditions in 1823. Prison Reform Treaty between Britain and Spain to abolish slave trade Abolition Slavery 1818 John Pounds in Portsmouth began teaching poor children without charging fees. He actively recruited children and young people to his school. Education People 1819 Cotton Mills Act. The Act required that no child under the age of nine was to be employed in cotton mills, with a maximum day of 16 hours for all those under 16. But once again the means of enforcing such legislation remained a serious problem. Textiles Factories 1819 The 'Peterloo Massacre' occurred at a reform meeting at St Peter's Field in Manchester. About 60,000 people gathered to hear Henry Hunt and others speak in favour of political reforms and rights for the poor. When Hunt arrived the yeomanry were sent by magistrates to arrest him. They slashed their way through the crowd killing eleven and injuring hundreds, including women. Political Reform Female reform societies were formed in the north of England Women Florence Nightingale was born. English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing.

People Anti-Slavery Society founded in Britain. Abolition Slavery Over 70 women's anti slavery societies were formed Abolition Slavery Women's Emancipation Jon Stuart Mills was arrested for distributing pamphlets on birth control practises Women Repeal of the Combination Acts makinf trade unions legal 1825 Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer, published her short but influential book, "Observations of the Siting, Superintendence and Government of Female Prisoners." Unlike other early reformers, Elizabeth provided the concrete, explicit detail for operating penal regimes. Prison Reform 1833 Factory Act. No children were to work in factories under the age of nine (though by this stage numbers were few). A maximum working week of 48 hours was set for those aged 9 to 13, limited to eight hours a day; and for children between 13 and 18 it was limited to 12 hours daily. The Act also required children under 13 to receive elementary schooling for two hours each day. Textiles Factories Poor Law Amendment Act. This established a national Commission for England and Wales.

Poor Law 1834 The British Slavery Abolition Act comes into force, abolishing slavery throughout most of the British Empire. Abolition Slavery 1838 Octavia Hill was born. English social reformer, whose main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London People 1838 - 1848 Chartists movement formed. The aim of the Chartists was to gain political rights and influence for the working classes. The movement got its name from the formal petition, or 'People's Charter', that listed the six main aims of the movement. These included a vote for all men aged over 21, but, just like the Levellers, they did not ask for votes for women. Emancipation Child Custody Act enabled a mother to be given custody of children under seven. Women Children A Poor Law Commission enquiry identified disease as a major cause of pauperism. Poor Law 1842 Edwin Chadwick, the secretary of the Poor Law Commission, and one of the main authors of the 1834 report, wrote a Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain, identifying sanitation as a principal issue.

Sanitation 1842 Mines and Collieries Act. Women and children were excluded from the mines and as a consequence became unemployed Women Mining 1843 Lord Shaftesbury became the president of the ragged schools. He used his knowledge of the schools, the refuges, and his understanding of the living conditions among low-income families to pursue changes in legislation. He served as the president of the Ragged School Union for 39 years. In 1944, the Union adopted the name "Shaftesbury Society", in his honour. Education Children Charles Dickens became associated with the Ragged Schools and donated money to them Education Children 1844 Ragged Schools Union was established to combine resources throughout the country, providing free education, food, clothing, lodging and other home missionary services for these children. Education Thomas Banardo was born, founder and director of homes for poor children Children 1847 Charles Dickens and Angela Coutts set up a home for young women who had "turned to a life of immorality", including theft and prostitution. The home was called Urania Cottage in Shepherds Bush.

Women Factory Act restricting the working day for women and children Factories 1848 Public Health Act. This defined responsible sanitary authorities, either town councils (in urban areas) or Poor Law Boards of Guardians (in rural areas). Public Health Sanitation The Metropolitan Sanitary Association is established to campaign for adequate public health provision for London Public Health Sanitation 1849 John Snow publishes On the Mode of Communication of Cholera and begins a study into the spread of the disease Public Health Sanitation 1851 Mary Carpenter published 'Reformatory Schools for the Children of the Perishing and Dangerous Classes, and for Juvenile Offenders', outlining the 3 different types of schools she envisioned. Education Children 1852 Mary Carpenter published published 'Juvenile Delinquents, their Condition and Treatment',which contributed to the passing of the Juvenile Offenders Act in 1854. Education Education Crime 1858 A revised Public Health Act is passed, abolishing the Central Board of Health and creating local boards responsible for preventative action and reform. Public Health Sanitation Harriet Martineau published Female Industry. Women 1861 Offences Against the Persons Act made abortion a statutory offence.

It confirmed the age of consent as 12, and made carnal knowledge of a girl under ten a felony and of a girl ten to twelve a misdemeanour. Women Children 1866 Sanitation Act. Parliament passes the Sanitary Act making local authorities responsible for the removal of 'nuisances' to public health and for the removal or improvement of slum dwellings. Public Health Sanitation Housing 1866 The Howard League for Penal Reform was founded and named after John Howard one of Britain's earliest penal reformers. It is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK. Prison Reform Angela Coutts established Columbia Market in 1869 as a covered food market with 400 stalls 1869 Organizations 1870 Education Act (1872 in Scotland). This provided free compulsory elementary education for all, up to the age of 12 at first, later to 14. (The secondary system, 11+, was private or voluntary, and based on fees).

Education The Edwardian Age brings change to women's roles in society Women 1902 Education Act.The Act provided funds for denominational religious instruction in voluntary elementary schools, owned primarily by the Church of England and Roman Catholics. It ended the divide between voluntary schools, which were largely administered by the Church of England, and schools provided and run by elected school boards Education Unemployed Workmen Act: labour exchanges. Employment Royal Commission on Poor Laws set up to look at Poor Law reform Poor Law Education Act: free school meals. Education Old Age Pensions: these were non-contributory. Employment Women's National Anti Suffrage League founded. Women National Insurance Act: this covered health and unemployment. Employment Marie Stopes wrote 'Wise Parenthood' Woman Children Means-tested 'out-of work donations' were given to unemployed people. Employment Addison Act: the first major finance for council housing. Housing Local Government Act. The Poor Law Boards of Guardians were replaced by local authorities. Political Reform Beveridge proposed a system of National Insurance Employment Education Act: free universal secondary education Education Children Act, which established local authority departments to receive children into care..

Children SocialReform - Truth That Matters Truth That Matters Feedback SOCIAL REFORM Today, there is the general belief that all humans are equal, human life is valuable, that humans ought to be treated with dignity, that even humans who have messed up their lives should be given some chance to reform, and that people should be given the freedom to live as they see fit (as long as they don't directly hurt others). If you study ancient civilizations, you find that none of these principles are self-evident. In fact, most societies assumed and adopted principles contrary to those mentioned above: human life was not considered valuable, all humans were not treated as equal, prisoners were treated savagely, etc. So, what brought about this great change in attitude and practice? We show below that it was the Bible. Slavery William Wilberforce was a Biblical Christian elected as a member of the English Parliament in 1780. Shortly afterwards, he read a church leader's impassioned account of the horrors of the slave trade. What was he going to do about it? Everything in his upper-class life of privilege might have led him to ignore this unpleasant problem that was enriching the British Empire.

But Wilberforce had made a commitment to Christ and wanted to live out the principles of the Bible. He told the English Parliament that the slave trade was wrong because even Africans were humans made in the image of God. The proponents of the slave trade opposed him vigorously, warning that two-thirds of England's commerce would disappear if the slave trade were abolished. Wilberforce was encouraged by a note from preacher John Wesley , which he kept in his Bible: "Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils, but if God be for you who can be against you?" Finally, after years of frustration, a bill banning the slave trade passed on February 4, 1807. Also see: How American Christians opposed slavery . The following names are associated with the Christian Anti-slavery movement in the US: Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp, Foxwell Buxton, Abraham Lincoln. All of them did what they did because of their Biblical convictions. Another name is George Bourne . In 1816, he wrote and printed at home The Book and Slavery Irreconcilable to argue against slavery from the Bible.

He was one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society. He also was the editor of various publications dealing with anti-slavery, most notably the Christian Intelligencer at the time of his death in New York City on November 20, 1845. Lord Shaftesbury fought for the abolition of slavery and the improvement of workers' conditions; he also started schools for poor children. He was motivated by the Bible. Don' t you think we need more politicians like this today? Human rights and freedom Alexander Hamilton , one of the founding fathers of the USA, became a campaigner for freedom because of his belief in God:- "The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power." For the last century, people from all over the world have had one dream: to migrate to the USA. Why? Because the principles of freedom on which the USA was founded enabled it to be a place of opportunity for anyone who was willing to work hard.

Notice how the Bible was responsible for creating the most coveted place to live on earth. "A great jurist must go to school to the Book [Bible]; lying behind Blackstone, the Habeas Corpus Act and the Roman institutes are the statutes of the Mosaic code" – Daniel Webster John Gough and Frances Willard Sir Wilfred Lawson attacked the alcohol lobby. "Nothing is more characteristic of Protestantism than its influence in promoting civil and religious liberty. Under its reign all forms of governments verge towards the democratic. 'The king and the church' are exchanged for the 'constitution and the people.' Liberty, not order, is the word that wakes the dead, and electrifies the masses. A social science is created, and the physical well being of the humblest laborer is cared for, and made a subject of deliberation in the councils of nations." – The Works of Orestes A. Brownson, Henry F. Brown, (Detroit: Henry F. Brown, 1900) Vol. IV, p. 23 (Taken from Eric J. Phelps' Con con (464)) Orestes Brownson was a Catholic. Thus, this statement is not a case of blowing one's own trumpet.

"When we contrast Popish countries with Protestant lands, can we doubt any longer which religious most promotes National Prosperity?...Protestantism and National Prosperity go together, like Siamese Twins." The Secret History of the Oxford Movement, Walter Walsh, (Longdon: Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1899) pp. 221, 254 [as quoted in Con Con, Phelps, 2008, pp. 428-429]) Further Reading: Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism explains how Protestantism led to the rise of capitalism and progress in the West; he also documented how Confucianism and Hinduism led to stagnation in China and India, respectively. Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (Founder of Modern Nursing, also known as The Lady with the Lamp) hardly needs any introduction. Let us understand what motivated her to do the tremendous things she did. [Some of this information is from The Life of Florence Nightingale, Sir Edward Cook] She became a disciple of Jesus Christ at age 16.

Her diary tells us that shortly afterwards, while she was praying, she heard a voice, "I have chosen you to serve me". From that day on, she set aside the 7th of every month as a day of self-examination. She began gathering a group of young women for a Bible class, after which she would give medicines to the sick among them. After seeing the suffering caused by the famine of 1842, she wrote to her aunt: "Can it be to the glory of God that we live in luxury and not help the poor in this crisis?" One day, the German ambassador, Charles Bunsen, also a Biblical Christian, came to her home. From him, Florence learned of the Institution for Protestant Deaconesses in Kaiserworth, Germany. She decided to train there to become a nurse - at that time, a lowly, despised profession - totally at odds with her high birth, and vigourously opposed by her family. She saw nursing as the high calling of God. In her determination to serve people, she renounced close friendships and marriage.

"Are not one's earthly friends too often obstacles, thrown in each other's way to hinder that course, at the end of which is laid up the crown of righteousness? So dearest, it is well that we should not see too much too much of each other" – to a friend. Note her use of a Biblical phrase (2 Timothy 4:8) "Oh God, no more love, no more marriage" – a private note Describing a ward for wounded British soldiers in the Crimean war, a soldier wrote home: "Before she came, there was cursing and swearing but after that it was as holy as a Church" Another eye-witness wrote: "She taught officials to treat the soldiers as Christian men" "The same tie really connects us to every one of our fellows as the tie which connects us to God" – this was her Bible based rationale (Acts 17:26, Malachi 2:10) for giving the best possible care for the poor.

Here is a quote from a letter she wrote to Elizabeth Torrance:- "Our great Master strives to steer us, by his life as well as his gospels…he considers it an honour to serve the poorest and the meanest, he will not give his crown except to those who have borne his Cross…As Paul said, run with patience our appointed course that is our calling…by looking unto Jesus…we are to give glory to God on high by showing good will towards men in the persons of His poor, His sick,…, it was to these Christ came, and he came in humility of heart…" At her funeral, the favorite hymn "The Son of God goes forth to war" was sung. As you can see, the Bible and its central person - God, revealed through Jesus Christ, was the driving force for Florence Nightingale. Prison Reform John Howard (1726-1790), a Christian from Bedfordshire was the first to attempt prison reform. Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) was a Christian belonging to the Quaker Church in England. At that time, conditions in prisons were appalling, crime was high, and public hangings were cheap entertainment for the population of England.

Women prisoners were perenially drunk, half-naked, and savagely ill-tempered, foul-mouthed and quarrelsome (hundreds of them were crowded into small prison halls). Some of Elizabeth Fry's achievements:- Visited and personally helped more than 12000 prisoners Started the first school for the children of women prisoners Introduced opportunities for prisoners to work and earn – Francis Eveleigh, a Christian merchant from her church, supplied her with fabric for her prisoners to learn to make quilts Founded the first society for the welfare of prisoners Was the first woman to address Parliament on the state of prisoners Established a night shelter for street children Published a manual for prison workers Established libraries for coast guards Fry was so well known and respected that her work received support from Queen Victoria, and the king of Prussia visited her. More than a thousand people stood in silence as she was laid to rest in a Quaker burial ground. What motivated her? She became a disciple of Christ at the age of 18. She once said: "Nothing short of the Holy Spirit can really help forward the cause of righteousness on earth." A key strategy that she used to reform prisoners was to organize Bible readings for them (see the image).

In a single word: the Bible. A German church leader, Pastor Theodore Fliedner (see image) met Elizabeth Fry and tried to emulate her work in Germany. He visited the prisoners at Dusseldorf prison. He formed the first Christian Prison Association in Germany. He founded the first home for released women prisoners. He started the Kaiserworth Institution for Protestant Deaconesses (Nurses) - this work expanded greatly. Thus, the Bible was the primary influence in bringing about the humane treatment of prisoners and also their reformation. Animals Not only did the Bible influence Christians to push for the humane treatment of humans - even animals benefited! A Biblical Christian, Sir Arthur Bloome founded the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This is not surprising in the light of Proverbs 12:10, Genesis 1:26, Leviticus 22:28, Deuteronomy 22:6-7. Today, it is politically correct to revere or worship nature as a goddess and imagine that man is just one species among many others, and not the head of all species. Conversely, the Bible is blamed as being anti-nature.

But while it is plausible that those who worship nature (Hindus, New Agers, etc) are likely to treat it better than those who consider nature to be a creation subservient to man (Biblical Christians), the reality is the other way around. Nations like India, that traditionally worshiped animals have had to take the help of Bible influenced countries for their conservation projects. Nations strongly influenced by the Bible have corrected the environmental mistakes of the Industrial Revolution Era, whereas nature-worshiping countries are not concerned about their environment. The Ganga river of India (which is sacred to Hindus) has been reduced to a filthy sewer today. Why is this? It is because man cannot perform his God-given task of managing animals well unless he first takes his God-given position as overseer of nature! The Bible shows the way! Conclusion The Bible has been the primary agent of social reform in the world. Social conditions today are much better than what they were before 1500 AD because of the spread of the Bible since then. This is part of the Bible's vast influence on our world. This tremendous influence is evidence that the Bible is not merely a human composition, but a divine book – God's message to man.

Also see: Fry, Elizabeth (1780 - 1845) - Credo Reference Cite Image English Quaker philanthropist. From 1813 she began to visit and teach the women in Newgate Prison in London who lived with their children in terrible conditions. She formed an association for the improvement of conditions for female prisoners in 1817, and worked with her brother, Joseph Gurney (1788–1847), on an 1819 report on prison reform. She was a pioneer for higher nursing standards and the education of working women. Her work extended to other prisons, and for 25 years she visited every ship bound with women convicts for Australia, arranging instruction and activity. Her unflagging devotion, magnetic personality, reports to the government, and published pamphlets enlisted public sympathy and led to official enquiry and reform. Her principal demands were for segregation by sex and criminal classification, female supervision for women, and the provision of education and occupation. Between 1838 and 1842 she carried her work to European prisons in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland.

Outside the prison system, she campaigned for better housing and working conditions for the poor, provided library material for lighthouse stations, and inspected mental asylums. Elizabeth Fry was the daughter of John Gurney, a Quaker banker of Norwich, her birthplace. She married Joseph Fry in 1800, a London Quaker banker and tea merchant, who was related to the Fry family of Bristol, founders of the Fry's chocolate business. In 1810 she became a minister for the Society of Friends. Her husband suffered bankruptcy in 1828. © RM, 2016. All rights reserved. Related Topics Florence Nightingale, an Englishwoman, developed the foundational philosophy of modern nursing and was a Victorian leader in... More relevant topics

Question: With what social reform is Elizabeth Fry associated?
Answer: Prison reform